Participation in Occupations: Some Experiences of People with Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Evidence suggests that people with Parkinson's disease can experience difficulties participating in occupations. This article describes a qualitative study that explored how seven people with Parkinson's disease perceived their participation in occupations. The analysis of the semi-structured interviews led to the identification of three themes: changes, addressing changes and perspectives on living with Parkinson's disease. Many findings supported the existing literature; for example, difficulties with self-care occupations and the desire to maintain normality. The new findings included the participants describing positive changes in their lives that were attributable to having Parkinson's disease and using occupations purposefully to enhance wellbeing. The results support the use of a client-centred approach to consider the implications of participation in occupations for people with Parkinson's disease, because this may encourage clients to use their own expert knowledge to enhance existing coping strategies. The recommendations for further research include an investigation as to whether the themes identified apply to a larger population and including people with Parkinson's disease in designing future research questions about the impact of occupational participation on wellbeing.

Reformulating Psychological Difficulties in People with Parkinson’s Disease: The Potential of a Social Relational Approach to Disablism

“…Taking sick leave or finishing work can cause financial implications and stress for people with PD [48, 49] which can contribute to psychological difficulties, particularly as lower socioeconomic status is a known correlate of anxiety and depression [50]. Furthermore, loss of employment may negatively impact a person's level of independence, alter their social role, reduce access to hobbies, and increase social isolation, again, experiences that could contribute to psychological difficulties [47, 51]. Although typically a condition in older adults, PD also affects people under retirement age [52].…”

Participation restrictions in ambulatory amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: Physical and psychological factors

“…According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), participation refers to a “multidimensional concept” that can be defined as “the person's involvement in life situations.” On the other hand, participation restrictions can be defined as “problems an individual may experience in involvement in life situations.” It has been shown that participation by patients with progressive neurological diseases contributes to their well‐being and Health‐Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) . The ability to participate decreases as the disease progresses, but those affected still strive to maintain independence and their social roles . Although there is no cure for ALS, ALS care can assist people to continue to function independently and safely, manage their symptoms, and, most importantly, participating in a fulfilling life despite having a disease that is known to shorten lifespan …”

Integration of Occupation for Individuals Affected by Parkinson's Disease

“…Two recent studies used qualitative methods (Doyle & Tickle-Degnen, 2004;Benharoch & Wiseman, 2004) to understand the experience of persons with Parkinson's disease.…”

“…Using qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews, Benharoch and Wiseman (2004) studied seven persons with Parkinson's disease in England. Three themes resulted from analysis of the data: changes, addressing changes, and perspectives on living with Parkinson's disease.…”

“…For example, Benharoch and Wiseman (2004) found that participants in their study used occupations to enhance well-being. In similar manner, the theme "a lot of the time it's what I feel like doing" described how occupation enhances well-being, while a lack of meaningful occupation diminishes well-being.…”